Grassroots participation in sport and physical activity

Public Accounts Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 26 Jul 2022 Closed: 12 Apr 2023 Parliament page
The Government promised an increase in grassroots sport participation as part of the long-term legacy of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Initiatives such as Sport England’s £135 million ‘People Places Play’ programme were set up to improve local facilities, train local sports leaders, and encourage adults to try … Read more
12 Recommendations
18 Conclusions
1 Report
1 Oral session
1 Letter
1 Event
Activity timeline 4 events
12 Apr
2023
Report published
7 Feb
2023
Correspondence
8 Jan
2023
Report published
31 Oct
2022
Oral evidence
Oral evidence sessions 1 session
31 Oct 2022
View on parliament.uk
Grassroot participation in sport and physical activity
Ben Dean · Department for Culture, Media and Sport Nick Pontefract · Sport England Sarah Healey · Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Tim Hollingsworth OBE · Sport England
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Thirty-Second Report - Grassroots participation in sport and phy… HC 46 8 Jan 2023 30 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
30 results
2 Recommendation Accepted
Thirty-Second Report - Grassroots …
Sport England’s focus on local initiatives and encouraging those who are least active to take...
Sport England’s focus on local initiatives and encouraging those who are least active to take part has not yet resulted in meaningful change in national participation rates. The government’s 2015 strategy for an active nation committed to focusing on those … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees and states that Sport England invests money in five broad areas, each with specific objectives and a robust 'theory of change', and measurement and evaluation plans to evidence progress and the contribution they are making to the organisation's overall objective.
HM Treasury
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3 Recommendation Accepted
Thirty-Second Report - Grassroots …
The Department has not yet set out how it will determine whether its efforts to...
The Department has not yet set out how it will determine whether its efforts to tackle persistent inactivity levels are a success. The cost-of-living crisis risks further 6 Grassroots participation in sport and physical activity reductions in activity as households … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees and will set out the specific outcomes it is aiming to achieve with inactive groups, what targets it is working towards, and how it will measure progress in the new Sport Strategy.
HM Treasury
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4 Recommendation Acknowledged
Thirty-Second Report - Grassroots …
Sport England has not yet translated its understanding of the barriers to participation into action...
Sport England has not yet translated its understanding of the barriers to participation into action to enable inactive groups to participate in sport and physical activity. Sport England recognises three key requirements to get inactive groups to participate: motivation, confidence … Read more
Government Response
Sport England will continue to support people to be active and cross-government working will be crucial, saying the barriers are complex and vary from person to person.
HM Treasury
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5 Recommendation Accepted
Thirty-Second Report - Grassroots …
It is unacceptable that Sport England does not know where in the country its grants...
It is unacceptable that Sport England does not know where in the country its grants are spent or whether these are genuinely helping those most in need. Sport England distributed £1.5 billion in grants in the five years starting 2016–17, … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees and states that Sport England invests public money responsibly, recording and publishing data on all grant recipients with awards dating back to 2009 listed in full, and will endeavour to set out appropriate detail in their 2023-24 Annual Report and Accounts and explain how investments are being targeted at deprived and less active communities.
HM Treasury
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6 Recommendation Accepted
Thirty-Second Report - Grassroots …
The Department’s approach to working in partnership with other organisations to encourage people to take...
The Department’s approach to working in partnership with other organisations to encourage people to take part in sport and physical activity is not yet effective. The Department recognises the importance of working with a variety of government departments, local organisations … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees and states both DCMS and Sport England are committed to working together to build greater collaboration from all parties, and that Sport England has made a clear commitment in Uniting the Movement to influence change and the new measurement framework will provide clear evidence on the impact of Sport England's distribution of public money.
HM Treasury
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7 Recommendation Accepted
Thirty-Second Report - Grassroots …
The Department does not know if leisure facilities are financially sustainable or are delivering the...
The Department does not know if leisure facilities are financially sustainable or are delivering the sports facilities that communities need. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sport England and the Department distributed over £900 million to support sports clubs and leisure centres. … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the recommendation and highlights the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, the Energy Bills Discount Scheme, and the £63m Swimming Pool Support Fund. DCMS will provide an update in June 2023 and is working on a facilities strategy.
HM Treasury
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1 Conclusion Acknowledged
Thirty-Second Report - Grassroots …
On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence...
On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (the Department) and Sport England on their efforts to increase the population’s levels of physical activity.1
Government Response
The government agrees that major sporting events should have a positive impact on participation, but notes that participation outcomes will vary from event to event, and the events also drive economic growth, improve infrastructure, instil civic and national pride, and spread the UK's international influence.
HM Treasury
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8 Conclusion Acknowledged
Thirty-Second Report - Grassroots …
Prior to the pandemic, between November 2016 and November 2019, the percentage of adults who...
Prior to the pandemic, between November 2016 and November 2019, the percentage of adults who were active increased by 1.2 percentage points, from 62.1% to 63.3%. Participation rates then fell to 61.4% in the year to November 2021, the lowest … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledged that population activity levels were at an all-time high prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, and that Sport England's strategy seeks to mobilize a cross-sector movement to collectively support more people to be active.
HM Treasury
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9 Conclusion Acknowledged
Thirty-Second Report - Grassroots …
In 2015, the Department published a new cross-government sporting strategy, Sporting Future.
In 2015, the Department published a new cross-government sporting strategy, Sporting Future. The strategy promised to target funding at less active groups of the population, believing this would deliver the biggest gains for public spending.13 Sport England told us that, … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledged that population activity levels were at an all-time high prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, and that Sport England's strategy seeks to mobilize a cross-sector movement to collectively support more people to be active.
HM Treasury
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10 Conclusion Accepted
Thirty-Second Report - Grassroots …
We asked Sport England why there had only been a modest increase in participation between...
We asked Sport England why there had only been a modest increase in participation between 2016 and 2019. Sport England said it felt this was actually a meaningful increase because physical activity is an inconsistent, discretionary part of people’s lives. … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the conclusion, stating the recommendation is implemented. It describes Sport England's existing strategy to mobilise a movement for physical activity, detailing its five investment areas each with specific objectives, a robust 'theory of change', and measurement and evaluation plans already in place.
HM Treasury
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11 Recommendation Accepted
Thirty-Second Report - Grassroots …
Under its previous strategy, Sport England agreed with the Department three numeric targets to increase...
Under its previous strategy, Sport England agreed with the Department three numeric targets to increase activity levels among women, lower socio-economic groups and the population as a whole.16 As part of its 2021 Strategy, published in January 2021, it committed … Read more
Government Response
The government states the recommendation is implemented and details Sport England's existing 'Uniting the Movement' strategy, which includes a measurement and evaluation plan to evidence progress, increase activity, decrease inactivity, and address inequalities across five broad investment areas.
HM Treasury
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12 Recommendation Accepted
Thirty-Second Report - Grassroots …
The Department plans to publish a new strategy to replace Sporting Future, which will include...
The Department plans to publish a new strategy to replace Sporting Future, which will include as a priority greater joining up between government departments and the wider sector. The Department originally intended to publish this in Summer 2022.19 We therefore … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees and commits to publishing the new Sport Strategy shortly, with a target implementation date of June 2023, which will focus on addressing inactivity and will include a new measurement framework developed with Sport England.
HM Treasury
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13 Recommendation Accepted
Thirty-Second Report - Grassroots …
We asked the Department for details about its new strategy and how it planned to...
We asked the Department for details about its new strategy and how it planned to ensure that the strategy would spark activity. The Department provided little concrete detail, only revealing that its new strategy would have the same overall aim … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees and will publish its new Sport Strategy by June 2023, which will include a new measurement framework developed with Sport England to ensure alignment, monitor spending, and track key performance metrics to demonstrate impact.
HM Treasury
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14 Recommendation Accepted
Thirty-Second Report - Grassroots …
We received written evidence from the Local Government Association which highlighted concerns that the cost-of-living...
We received written evidence from the Local Government Association which highlighted concerns that the cost-of-living crisis will adversely affect the participation rates of more deprived communities and rural communities.22 Written evidence we received from the Lawn Tennis Association also told … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees and highlights existing financial support schemes (EBRS, EBDS) and the new £63m Swimming Pool Support Fund to help leisure facilities mitigate cost pressures. DCMS is also developing a new facilities strategy to outline its vision for the future of these assets, providing guidance and encouraging sustainable investment.
HM Treasury
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15 Conclusion Accepted
Thirty-Second Report - Grassroots …
Sport England’s 2016–2021 strategy, Towards an Active Nation, aimed to understand and address the barriers...
Sport England’s 2016–2021 strategy, Towards an Active Nation, aimed to understand and address the barriers to activity for the least active by working with a broader range of partners and encouraging local collaboration. Sport England pledged £250 million, or 25% … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the conclusion and describes Sport England's existing 'Uniting the Movement' strategy, which involves investing in five broad areas with specific objectives and evaluation plans to increase activity, decrease inactivity, and address inequalities.
HM Treasury
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16 Conclusion Accepted
Thirty-Second Report - Grassroots …
Sport England’s research has shown that certain groups have tended to be less active, such...
Sport England’s research has shown that certain groups have tended to be less active, such as women, disabled people and those in lower socio-economic groups. It agreed targets with the Department to increase activity levels between 2016 and 2020 for … Read more
Government Response
The government states the recommendation is implemented and details Sport England's existing 'Uniting the Movement' strategy, which includes a measurement and evaluation plan for its five investment areas, designed to increase activity levels and address inequalities broadly.
HM Treasury
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17 Conclusion Accepted
Thirty-Second Report - Grassroots …
We questioned Sport England on the limited progress in increasing activity levels among women aged...
We questioned Sport England on the limited progress in increasing activity levels among women aged 16–60. Sport England acknowledged that the figure was low but told us that it had a significant programme of activity had lined up for the … Read more
Government Response
The government states the recommendation is implemented and describes Sport England's existing 'Uniting the Movement' strategy, detailing its five investment areas, objectives, and measurement plans to increase activity levels and address inequalities across the population.
HM Treasury
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18 Conclusion Acknowledged
Thirty-Second Report - Grassroots …
Sport England did not have a target for other less active groups, such as the...
Sport England did not have a target for other less active groups, such as the over-75s, disabled people or those in Black or Asian ethnic groups. Prior to the pandemic, between November 2016 and November 2019, activity levels among the … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the committee's observation and states that Sport England will write to the Committee by June 2023 to outline the barriers for less active groups and the actions being taken to support them, noting that addressing inequalities will be a key pillar in the new sport strategy.
HM Treasury
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19 Conclusion Accepted
Thirty-Second Report - Grassroots …
We asked Sport England how it can spark activity among the least active.
We asked Sport England how it can spark activity among the least active. It told us the answer was a combination of three key characteristics: motivation, confidence and opportunity. It noted that in the past government had over-relied on opportunity … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the conclusion and commits Sport England to write to the Committee by June 2023. Sport England will outline the main barriers for inactive groups and detail the specific actions being taken to support people in becoming active, which will be a key pillar of the government’s new sport strategy.
HM Treasury
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20 Conclusion Accepted
Thirty-Second Report - Grassroots …
Sport England sought to rebalance its grant funding towards the inactive in line with the...
Sport England sought to rebalance its grant funding towards the inactive in line with the objectives of its 2016–2021 strategy. Sport England distributed £1.5 billion in grants in the five years starting 2016–17, supporting a range of organisations from National … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the conclusion, stating Sport England will take action to build on existing investment data and will seek to capture more granular data on the locations where beneficiaries reside. Sport England will also endeavour to provide appropriate detail in its 2023-24 Annual Report and Accounts on how investments are targeting deprived and less active communities.
HM Treasury
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21 Conclusion Accepted
Thirty-Second Report - Grassroots …
National Audit Office (NAO) analysis of the grants issued at local level showed the share...
National Audit Office (NAO) analysis of the grants issued at local level showed the share received by the most deprived quintile of local authorities fell from 40% in the five years before the 2016 strategy to 34% in the five … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the conclusion, confirming Sport England will enhance its investment data collection, including seeking to capture the range of locations where beneficiaries reside. Sport England will also provide detailed information in its 2023-24 Annual Report and Accounts regarding the targeting of investments at deprived and less active communities.
HM Treasury
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22 Conclusion Accepted
Thirty-Second Report - Grassroots …
Sport England told us the changes in distribution of spending reported by the NAO was...
Sport England told us the changes in distribution of spending reported by the NAO was due to where some of the national organisations were based rather than where the funding then goes on to be received. It explained that some … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the conclusion, stating Sport England will take action to enhance its investment data and improve the capture of beneficiary location data. Sport England also commits to providing detailed explanations in its 2023-24 Annual Report and Accounts on how investments are targeted at deprived and less active communities.
HM Treasury
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23 Recommendation Accepted
Thirty-Second Report - Grassroots …
The Department told us that it had invested significantly to build and upgrade sport facilities...
The Department told us that it had invested significantly to build and upgrade sport facilities in locations hosting major sporting events, such as the Olympic Stadium in Stratford and the Sandwell Aquatics Centre in the West Midlands. Using the NAO’s … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees that all future major sporting events must include focused social impact plans with discrete investment towards improving participation, citing the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 legacy programme as an example which aims to attract 1,000 new female coaches, 500 match officials, and 100,000 female players by 2027, with progress to be measured and published.
HM Treasury
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24 Recommendation Accepted
Thirty-Second Report - Grassroots …
While the Department plays the lead role in increasing physical activity, it told us other...
While the Department plays the lead role in increasing physical activity, it told us other government bodies also have responsibilities in this area: the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities leads on local sports facilities and leisure centres; the … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees and is establishing a new measurement framework with Sport England to provide clear evidence of impact, which includes Sport England's new partner evaluation framework with six-monthly reports and DCMS exploring new data sources for real-time progress tracking, with a target implementation date of June 2023.
HM Treasury
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25 Conclusion Accepted
Thirty-Second Report - Grassroots …
The NAO found that there were signs that system-wide collaboration on sport and physical activity...
The NAO found that there were signs that system-wide collaboration on sport and physical activity may be increasing following the COVID-19 pandemic, and that the Department was seeking to build on this increased collaboration.39 The Department said its new strategy … Read more
Government Response
The government agreed to set out in its new strategy what it and Sport England will do differently to ensure sustained integration and collaboration with other bodies to achieve increased levels of physical activity, targeting implementation by June 2023. They also mentioned working to establish a new measurement framework and a partner evaluation framework to track the impact of spending.
HM Treasury
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26 Conclusion Accepted
Thirty-Second Report - Grassroots …
Sport England increased the number of organisations that it awarded grant funding by six-fold in...
Sport England increased the number of organisations that it awarded grant funding by six-fold in 2020–21 compared to 2019–20, from 1,666 to 9,538. We asked Sport England how increasing the number of grant recipients will help improve participation in sport … Read more
Government Response
The government agreed to set out in its new strategy what it and Sport England will do differently to ensure sustained integration and collaboration with other bodies to achieve increased levels of physical activity, targeting implementation by June 2023. They also mentioned working to establish a new measurement framework and a partner evaluation framework to track the impact of spending.
HM Treasury
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27 Conclusion Accepted
Thirty-Second Report - Grassroots …
We pressed the Department and Sport England on how they were working with businesses and...
We pressed the Department and Sport England on how they were working with businesses and other organisations to incentivise them to engage with increasing participation and activity rates, such as making sports equipment available in the workplace, or introducing a … Read more
Government Response
The government agreed to set out in its new strategy what it and Sport England will do differently to ensure sustained integration and collaboration with other bodies to achieve increased levels of physical activity, targeting implementation by June 2023. They also mentioned working to establish a new measurement framework and a partner evaluation framework to track the impact of spending.
HM Treasury
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28 Conclusion Accepted
Thirty-Second Report - Grassroots …
As part of measures to control the COVID-19 pandemic, sports facilities were closed multiple times...
As part of measures to control the COVID-19 pandemic, sports facilities were closed multiple times by the government. During the pandemic, Sport England distributed £271 million to the grassroots sport and physical activity in financial support and the Department provided … Read more
Government Response
The government agreed to review the condition of leisure facilities, working with other departments, and take action to ensure their financial sustainability, aiming to provide an update by June 2023; they also mentioned providing support through the Energy Bills Discount Scheme and the Swimming Pool Support Fund.
HM Treasury
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29 Conclusion Accepted
Thirty-Second Report - Grassroots …
Sport England told us that lots of sports facilities providers had used their organisational reserves...
Sport England told us that lots of sports facilities providers had used their organisational reserves to stay afloat during the pandemic and were now in a precarious financial position. The Department also recognised that “many clubs are coming out of … Read more
Government Response
The government agreed to review the condition of leisure facilities, working with other departments, and take action to ensure their financial sustainability, aiming to provide an update by June 2023; they also mentioned providing support through the Energy Bills Discount Scheme and the Swimming Pool Support Fund.
HM Treasury
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30 Conclusion Accepted
Thirty-Second Report - Grassroots …
We therefore asked the Department how it intended to address the short-term and long-term sustainability...
We therefore asked the Department how it intended to address the short-term and long-term sustainability challenges facing sports clubs and facilities. The Department told us that the primary responsibility for leisure provisions sits with local government.55 Similarly, it said that … Read more
Government Response
The government agreed to review the condition of leisure facilities, working with other departments, and take action to ensure their financial sustainability, aiming to provide an update by June 2023; they also mentioned providing support through the Energy Bills Discount Scheme and the Swimming Pool Support Fund.
HM Treasury
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Government Response AI assessment · 30 of 12 classified
Accepted 25
Acknowledged 5
Total 12 recs + 18 conclusions
Correspondence 1 letter
7 Feb 2023 Correspondence from Neil Cameron, Founder & Director, Sport Works, re response to 'Grassroots participation in sport and physical activity’, dated 31 January 2023
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